The trade highlighted a day of key moves that included the restoration of quarterback Andrew Luck to the 53-man active roster from the physically unable to perform list. And it throws into question the team’s intentions for the immediate future, seeing how Luck is not expected to play in next weekend’s season opener against the Los Angeles Rams because he continues to rehabilitate after shoulder surgery. It’s conceivable that Brissett, despite his late arrival, could be thrown into the mix to play in Luck’s place.

But even if he is not, the Colts have plans for Brissett, as explained to IndyStar by an NFL source.

The team made the trade with long-term thinking in mind, the source said. Brissett has three seasons remaining on his contract, signed through 2019. The Colts will assume his current contract via the trade. That gives the Colts a possible long-term backup for Luck once he regains his health.

Luck’s current backup, Scott Tolzien, is entering the final year of a two-year contract and played erratically throughout the preseason. Stephen Morris, who outplayed Tolzien but never overtook him on the depth chart, has never truly seemed to be in the Colts’ future plans. Brissett, 6-4 and 235 pounds, is entering his second season and has started two games, last season in place of the suspended Tom Brady (he went 1-1 as a starter).

Meanwhile, the trade gives Dorsett a chance to turn the page from a disappointing run in Indianapolis.

Dorsett's agent, Ron Butler, said the Colts told him they had garnered significant interest in a Dorsett trade in recent weeks. But the team resisted the urge to accept any of those proposals until Saturday’s opportunity presented itself.

"A lot of teams were reaching out, but it had to be the right situation," Butler said. "This deal, with the uncertainty at quarterback, was a deal that felt right."

Dorsett gets a chance to play with the defending Super Bowl champs, who have been known to turn disappointing players into successful ones — especially with Brady under center. Dorsett will become coach Bill Belichick’s latest reclamation project.

"Phillip is just looking for an opportunity," Butler said. "He got drafted into a situation where they already had a No. 1 and No. 2 receiver (T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief). I think in New England, he goes there with an opportunity to really help them and play with a great quarterback.

"It's a fresh start."

For the Colts, Dorsett’s departure highlights an ugly span of outcomes from the team’s first-round picks. The team now has none of its first-round picks from 2013 to 2015 on the roster. The 2013 pick, Bjoern Werner, flamed out of the NFL two years ago. The team’s 2014 first-round pick was infamously traded to the Cleveland Browns for running back Trent Richardson, who also is no longer on an NFL roster. Dorsett was the first-round choice in 2015.

There were other moves of note as the Colts reduced their roster to 53 players from the offseason limit of 90:

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver JoJo Natson (6) returns a kickoff in the first half of their preseason football game Thursday, August 31, 2017. (Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar)

>> Toughest cut

This title might go to receiver JoJo Natson, the preseason sensation who likely gave team officials pause with his three fumbles in the preseason finale. Natson led the NFL in all-purpose yardage during the preseason and was electric as a return man in the open field. But the Colts opted to retain Quan Bray as their returner instead and waived Natson on Saturday.

Natson is a strong candidate to join the Colts’ practice squad if he clears waivers.

>> Mild surprises

Linebacker Akeem Ayers and defensive tackle T.Y. McGill were two of the mildly surprising cuts. Ayers had shown himself to be a good depth player, but the team opted to go with just four outside linebackers, squeezing Ayers out of the picture. Free-agent pickup Barkevious Mingo was retained, in part because of his special-teams contributions.

Another mild surprise cut was McGill. But if you’ve been paying attention throughout the preseason, you should know that McGill might well have been the odd man out in a defensive tackle rotation that includes big-ticket free agent Johnathan Hankins and Hassan Ridgeway, whom coaches are high on.

>> Starter sent packing

General Manager Chris Ballard said long ago the decision on whether to retain nose tackle David Parry would be made without consideration of his offseason arrest. And Parry was given the chance to make the team. Ultimately, he did not outplay free agent Al Woods, who easily fended off the challenge for the starting job. The Colts also wanted to make room for fourth-round pick Grover Stewart, although it remains to be seen whether Stewart will be active most game days.